Injury prevention tips

[Gainera2582]

I am sure a lot of you are into fitness. Whether its weightlifting, mountain biking, swimming, boxing, plyometrics, calisthenics, or even cross training will gain you strength and endurance.

However, we never really talk about recovery methods or things we can do to enhance are performance and can prevent injury down the road. For example, golfers are sure to have lower back hip issues because they are always swinging on one side of the body and their mobility in their shoulders and hips is poor, which leads to your body depending on other areas to pick up the slack(aka the lower back). Sure, stretching may make it feel better, but it doesn't always work and possibly can hurt you more than it helps(I will explain further below).

So what is the solution or what steps can we take to keep our body 100%? I will suggest 7 things that can be part of your program.

NOTE: I AM NOT A DOCTOR, AND IF YOU HAVE SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES OR SEVERE CHRONIC PAIN, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FIRST. ATTEMPT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

1) Dynamic flexibility: Different than static stretching, this involves doing movement stretches that strengthen a muscle through its range of motion. This helps with joint mobility especially in the hip and shoulder region where it is much needed. Some examples of these exercises are arm circles, hip circles, leg swings front to back, side leg swings, ankle circles. You can even use bodyweight exercises such as jumping jacks, lunges, pushups, and bodyweight squats to prepare you before you ride/workout. In all drills, most movements start out slow, and slowly increase in speed. Keep in mind you are going through a full range of motion in the joint. Never sacrifice range of motion for speed.

What is the main benefit of doing this: Combines strength and flexibility into one phase. If you were to even take 1 of these 5 recommendations, it would be dynamic flexibility. Your body remembers how much you move, and the more frequent you do it, your dynamic flexibility and static flexibility will increase over time.

How often to do this: This can be done everyday when you wake up out of bed, before you go exercise, even before you goto ride. This is considered a great warm up to any activity involving movement or even taking part in a stretching program.

Some examples of sources:
YouTube - Dynamic Stretching

YouTube - Matt Furey - Combat Stretching 1.1 (has more than 1 part, look under the user name for all parts)

http://www.magnificentmobility.com/ Great dvd you can buy(its 50 bucks but worth it) that has lots of drills that have helped me get my body back in balance and less injury prone.

 

[Gainera2582]

2) Strength: Lets face it, every one needs strength. Training out bodies against gravity makes us less prone to injury if we have a good lifting program that allows us to have a progressive overload(increasing the weight slowly over time). However, when some people think of strength, they think of bodybuilding exercises that involve flexing of the beach muscles. This is NOT the best way to become strong and is worthless to someone who wants to gain strength in the overall body.

Whats the benefits?: Increasing joint stability and making yourself less prone to injury. You may even develop good musculature if combined with a great diet.

How often should I do this? Everyone is different, but most recommend a 3-4 day per week routine if doing more full body routines. If you did follow a bodybuilding routine, its usually 5-6 days a week. Do what works best for you, but remember movements are more important than muscle groups.

So how do we become strong? We lift moderate to heavy weights using compound movements(multi joint think pullups or rowing) and not isolation(bicep curls and tricep extensions). Focusing on movements that are more functional have more potential for carryover to your sport/life.

The exercises I recommend are pretty simple and you can learn easily off youtube, by reading a book, videotaping yourself, or having a coach/trainer watch your form. As always, never sacrifice form for weight.

Legs: Back squat, front squat, lunges(barbell or dumbbell), deadlift, romanian deadlift, one legged deadlift(barbell or dumbbell)

Chest/Shoulder: Standing overhead press(bb or db), incline bb/db chest press, flat bench press(I recommend db if you have shoulder impingement, but bb is fine if you learn to rotate it), dips

Back(very important tto work if your a racer or have horrible posture): Bent over barbell rows, dumbbell rowing, seated cable rows w/cable machine, chin ups, pullups, lat pulldowns w/cable machine

Grip: Wrist roller with chain or string attached to a weight that is held and curled up using only your wrists, farmers walks(take two heavy dumbbells and walk around the gym and go until you almost cannot hold the weight any longer, also heavy grippers such as captains of crush will help your crush grip. More info can on grip training can be found on ironmind.com

Abdominals/core: Plank bridges off elbows and feet, side bridges, cable woodchops, weighted crunches, pushups off a stability ball with feet elevated, alligator walks(put feet on a weight plate and walk on ground with hands while dragging feet with weight)

For great demonstrations of these exercises, goto: http://exrx.net/Exercise.html and click on male or female exercise body map and click on the appropriate muscle group.

Reps and sets are up to you, but try to stay around 24-30 total work reps between all sets. Just make sure you are not going to failure(where you can no longer lift a weight safely without a spotter) when you lift a weight for your last rep, always stop short a rep or two. For more info, read this site: "The set rep bible guide" http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=651322

Routines: I like full body routines. Monday, wed, and fri work great especially if you dont have enough time. You could also do it in a split routine: Push movements on mon and thur, pull movements on tues and fri. Just make sure your work reps are all the same(unless you have a severe weakness in an area that you need higher volume to balance with other muscle groups) so that you do not create muscle imbalances.

some info on designing a training program(there are other routines on the site):
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1701042 part 1

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1702383 part 2

 

[Gainera2582]

3) Endurance: With strength, everbody needs endurance. It allows us to be less injury prone in some cases, as well as gives us the stamina to go the extra mile or that extra lap on the buoy course. Endurance training is mostly an aerobic style of training, but keep in mind any type of training will increase your endurance if it is done frequently(even weightlifting for that matter). Some may call endurance training cardio, which it does help increase bloodflow to the heart and even strengthens the heart and can increase your vo2 max. I call it conditioning, which every athlete and person needs if they want to exceed in their sport or lifestyle.

No matter what you pick in this category, anything is better than nothing. Pay attention to your heart rate though(if you dont know your heart rate, minus it by 220-your age, then when checking your pulse for 15 secs, multiply it by 4 to get your actual heart rate at that moment).

A couple guidelines to a program:

a) low to moderate exercises such as walking, swimming, bike riding can be done for 30-45 minutes if the intensity is kept low and heart rate is below 70% of maximum heart rate.

b) moderate to high intense exercises such as boxing, fast swimming, jump rope, plyometrics(box jumping, clap pushups, etc..), sets of sprints, intervall training(jog/run) should be kept under 20 minutes to avoid overtraining.

I also prefer kettle bell training for endurance as well(link below): YouTube - RKC Russian Kettlebell Certification workshop

c) limit your conditioning to a max of 3-5 days per week. If you feel your doing too much, back off a bit. Taking a day off here and there may be needed if your doing too much. Listen to your body.

Pick at a couple activities for variety and have some fun. Heck, even a game of basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, etc.. that involves lots of movement can also be a substitute for the above.

 

[Gainera2582]

4)Massage: While expensive if you goto a professional, massage offers tremendous relief and can increase recovery in muscle groups and/or prevent overtraining. Just like you would take your car in for an oil change, your body needs to be worked on just as well as it goes through a lot of wear and tear by your lifestyle(lifting, extended sittting, overuse, etc...). Neglect this maintenance for years and you could be asking for serious injury or even possible surgery in severe cases.

How will I benefit from this?: Increase muscle tissue quality, increase recovery, prevent injury

How often should I do this?: While it may seem excessive, a couple times a week at most would be great, once a week is good, or even every other week. You just need to be massaged at least once a month if you hope to prevent injuries down the road. Those who have issues already need extra work done. If doing any of self-massaging methods, they can be performed daily and actually helps to do in the morning and/or before bed. Example below and many more on youtube:

YouTube - Top 5 Foam Roller Exercises


Now, professional massage therapists will charge 40-50 per hour(some will charge less if you look around), and always look for those who are certified in trigger point therapy, sports massage, etc... and have been massaging for a few years so they know what they are doing.

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE FIBROMYLAGIA DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS BELOW AND GOTO A CERTIFIED THERAPIST THAT WORKS WITH THE DISEASE:
However, if you do not have the 50 bucks to pay for a massage, I would recommend a foam roller and a tennis ball. This is called self-myofascial release aka self massage that enables your body to increase muscle flexibility by working out the bugs in your central nervous system. Basically you roll over your muscle tissue and roll on tight spots and spasms. General rolls on an area should be about 1 minute per muscle group unless you have sever tight spots. If you find a spot that hurts, you stay on that spot while applying some pressure for about 20 seconds then roll to the next spot. Make sure to roll on all areas and work all muscle groups. In addition, those areas that are tighter or more prone to muscle spasms should be worked at least twice per day until things start to balance out.

NOTE: ALWAYS DRINK ADEQUATE FLUIDS TO STAY HYDRATED WHILE DOING THIS. It helps prevent cramping and increases flushing of waste material in the body.

Some good reference articles on this:

"Feel better for 10 bucks"
http://www.t-nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=475840

"Soft tissue work for tough guys"
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1259323

 

[Gainera2582]

5) Nutrition- Yes nutrition plays an important role in preventing injuries and increasing recovery. You need to find a balance between your carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and it varies between your lifestyle.

Those who are active need more carbohydrates than others and higher protein intake.

Those who are prone to storing carbohydrates or don't exercise as often may need to eat moderate amount of carbs and increase fat and protein intake.

Couple guidelines when trying to develop a good eating plan

a) I recommend eating 6 small meals a day to keep your insulin(blood sugar) levels normal and to keep your body's energy level up.

b) Eat good carbohydrates: This means lots of fruits and vegetables as your main source, with a few sources being from oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, yams, etc... The higher the fiber, the better it is for you.

c) stay away from bad carbohydrates: I know some will question why I put some of these here, but: any wheat products(lots of ppl have gluten allergies and don't know it), white bread, high fructose corn syrup(found in sports drinks and most sugary stuff), cookies, juice, junk food etc.. These do nothing more than bring down your energy levels. I

Note: it is ok to have a glass of chocolate milk or a sugar and protein mix after training hard, but doing so without exercise will create fat stores and can cause inflammation if consumed in excess.

d) Eat your fats: Eat mixed nuts, put tbsp of olive oil or flax oil on your salads. Even a tablespoon or two of fish oil(lemon flavored) a day is great for essential fatty acids as you need your omega 3s(mainly fish and flax seed oil) to balance out to your omega 6s(can cause inflammation) for overall joint and heart health.

e) Protein is essential: You need to consume protein to keep your muscle tissue maintained. What is the recommended amount? Generally the rda is 60-70 grams a day. You should at least consume this if not more. My recommendation is at least .8 grams times your bodyweight and no more than 1 gram/lb of bw to keep your muscles nourished. All beef sources are great, try to get the leanest kind you can. Dairy is good, but try to stay away from drinking too much milk due to the hormones present. Fish and chicken are the best and provide the lowest cholesterol. Don't forget to eat your eggs as well, as they also contain good fats and high bioavailable protein.

Now, should you take protein supplements? That really depends on if you lack it in your diet. I myself have them for after my workouts consumed with either fruit or chocolate milk for recovery purposes. It does make a difference if you consume 1-2 shakes a day and can help if you just cant fit a whole meal into a schedule. However, you should not do too many of these as you need to vary your food sources like everything else. The cheapest whey protein works great(eas from costco is good and cheap priced), or a whey isolate if your lactose intolerant.

f) Water: Drink it, love it, and have some more. It rids the body of waste materials, and lubricates the joints. Drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces a day to ensure your properly hydrated. Little amounts throughout the day work. And be sure to drink water before your meals. Drinking water during your meals can cause indigestion and possibly cause heartburn.

 

[Gainera2582]

6) Sleep: Sleeping gives our bodies and brains a chance to recover and recharge. Those who neglect their sleep are prone to hurting others while driving, falling asleep at the job, even potentially increasing their chance for disease/cancer and injury.

You should sleep as long as your body allows you to without having an alarm wake you up. Strive for 7-8 hours a day of sleep and try to goto bed at the same time each night. Make your room look like the bat cave when trying to goto bed so you can make it easier for your body to goto sleep. Always read or do something away from the computer or tv about an hour before you goto bed so its easier for your to fall asleep.

Insomniac? Can't get to sleep regardless? Stay away from the computer and tv 2 hours prior to bed and start to read a book in a chair outside your bed. This increases your melatonin levels naturally, which can help you fall asleep easier and allows you to relax.

If your still having trouble sleeping with all the recommendations, try some zma(zinc, magnesium, b6) supplement, gaba, or valerian root. These are natural sleep aids that I use from time to time to get me back on my sleep schedule and do not develop dependency on them like you would from medical drugs.

Power naps of 15-20 minutes are also good to do occasionally as they will give you a fresh recharge.

Remember, the top athletes in the world sleep 9-10 hours a day for full recovery. If we can get at least listen to our bodies and sleep 7-8 hrs a day, we can stay healthy as well.

 

[Gainera2582]

7) Static Stretching: I put this last on my list but I feel it does have some value. Essentially in weight training or any exercise for that matter, you are doing flexibility work by using the stretch reflex under a certain load(example would be doing a lunge with two dumbbells in hand). However, in static stretching, we generally do not have a load besides our bodyweight and we stretch our muscles to our limit and hold it for 12-15 seconds and done for 1-3 sets. This is whats referred to as passive flexibility as it more or less helps you relax a muscle group.

I will say this about static stretching: It is not the best way to become flexible, nor will it make you stronger. However, it can help eliminate muscle inflexibilities between muscles in the body(example your left shoulder lacks flexiblity while your right is flexible, so you practice stretching the left more than the right until it balances out) and is a nice way to cool down after exercise and maintain your flexibility.

How will l I benefit from this?: Maintain, possibly increase flexibility if done over a period of time; cool down a muscle group, decrease inflexibility between muscles.

How often should I perform this?: NASM recommends 2-3 days of stretching to maintain flexiblity. I recommend this be done 5-6 days a week at bedtime and some is done after your workouts(usually do 1 set vs a long stretching program).

Note: ALWAYS WARMUP BEFORE DOING ANY STATIC STRETCHING. Jogging in place, jumping jacks, even a hot shower for a few minutes will help warm the muscles up so they can stretch easier.

Guidelines when your static stretching:

a) Feel for a mild stretch. If you stretch to a point that is painful, you need to back off just a bit. NEVER STRETCH IN PAIN.

b) Stretch in that position for 12-15 seconds. Repeat at least once or twice while going a bit further each time safely.

C) Focus on breathing and relaxing while stretching. This trains your nervous system to accept the new range of motion that you gain and helps prevent muscle spasms associated with forced stretches.

D) Drink water while stretching. It helps wash out toxins and lubricates the joints.

E) Know your limits to your flexibility. You should only stretch your muscles to a point, and do not go too far beyond that for safety. Not everybody needs to do the splits nor do they need to go beyond touching their toes. You should have a small flexibility reserve so that you can prevent injuries.
Joints need stability(strength) and flexiblity(mobility). Having a joint that isn't flexible enough is more prone to injury, but a joint that is too flexible is also prone to injury and can cause hyper mobility and arthritis.

Keep in mind their is also pnf(proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) and isometric stretching, but I feel those are best to learn on your own and from watching videos if you desire other methods to do the splits or get the last few inches on your toe touch.

Some references:

Hardcore stretching part 1:
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=639853

Hardcore stretching part 2:
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=640906

Lazy mans guide to stretching(prefer to do this after a workout, but its a good program nonetheless)
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=459743

 

[Gainera2582]

Here are some site references you can find other information as well at:

www.t-nation.com (articles on strength, endurance, flexiblity, nutrition, etc..)

www.exrx.net (exercise description, muscle information, standards, etc..)

www.coreperformance.com (great book btw)

www.dragondoor.com (kettlebells, conditioning, strength)

www.crossfit.com (conditioning, endurance)

www.bodybuilding.com (strength, speed, muscle hypertrophy,etc...)

 

[MikeB/Mako Mike]

Ive been working out most of my life and theres a lot of miss information or just a lot of info out there that is just BS.Good to see someones got it right.Think your right on the money.Nutrition is just as big a part as training as workin out.Takes a lot longer to dial in Nutrition then training methods.Dont be afraid to make chances in both and measure your improvment in 6 to 8 mouth periods.Do what works for you.:Banane09::Banane09::Banane09::Banane09:

 

[Fro Diesel]

be careful with too much protein. It is a terrible source of energy and downing a chit load of protein is bad for your kidneys. Great info here. Epic post for sure.

 

[Gainera2582]

be careful with too much protein. It is a terrible source of energy and downing a chit load of protein is bad for your kidneys.

If you were to drink zero water, then yes protein would cause renal failure. Eating .8 to 1 g/lb of bodyweight is fine for majority of people. Make sure the protein you eat is on the somewhat leaner side, and that your not taking in a bunch of saturated fat which no american needs any more of.


Just remember, eating a ********load of carbohydrates isn't the best. Excess sugar(especially refined foods) is the biggest cause for obesity, type II diabetes, and it makes you more prone to get cancer. Many americans could probably cut down a couple servings of their carb intake a day because their activity level sucks in general and they work at sedentary jobs.

Find balance in what you eat. Make sure you get enough fiber in daily, 5-6 servings of fruits and veggies, some grains, few servings of dairy, and a few servings of meat, fish, and eggs. Water should be your only beverage and not alcohol if you want to keep the excess weight off!!!!

 

[McDog]

What you said about lower back pain and golf has really got me thinking. I started golfing once a week with my father in law about 4 months ago. I also started my ski rebuild this fall. I had thought that my recent severe lower back pain/soreness was a result of the awkward postures neccesary to work on my ski, but now I'm thinking it is the golf. My father in law has had back problems and been a golfer as long as I've known him. He had his back checked out and was told that it was lumbar-sacral arthritis.

What exercises and stretches are good for lumbar pain caused by golf? Would taking a swing in the opposite direction for every regular swing help even it out?

 

[Gainera2582]

Hows your hip flexibility? I find most ppl with back pain have immobile hips from too much sitting. Lots of lunges and their variations, fire hydrants, cat camel, and hip flexor and hamstring stretches seem to really help those with back pain.

Just remember the 23:1 rule. For all that one hour you have to straighten everything back up, you can screw it up for the next 23 hours if your prone to sitting at a desk job or a fixed posture. Stretch your hips throughout the day for a couple min each stretch and do this throughout the day. Keep your hips mobile and flexible and that is the key to keeping your back healthy.

 

[McDog]

I do sit a lot on some days at work, but not every day. I have been doing straight leg dead lifts for a couple of weeks to strengthen my back, and they seem to be helping. I could start doing lunges, but I've never heard of fire hydrants or cat camels. I know plenty of hamstring stretches, but what are some good hip flexor stretches? Thanks for your help. I'm guessing you are a physical therapist?

 

[SXIPro]

Great post. I can't believe I missed this when it was first submitted. What are you paying for the EAS Protein at Costco?

I just picked up a 5 lb tub of ON 100% Whey Gold Standard for 39 bucks at the Vitamin Shoppe this weekend. Seemed like an ok deal.

 

[WaveDemon]

I finally book marked this thread. it should be stickied.

 

[McDog]

Great post. I can't believe I missed this when it was first submitted. What are you paying for the EAS Protein at Costco?

I just picked up a 5 lb tub of ON 100% Whey Gold Standard for 39 bucks at the Vitamin Shoppe this weekend. Seemed like an ok deal.

Check out prosource. I think it is prosource.com, but I'm not positive.

They have the best prices I've found, and I have been using them for years.

Their Nitrowhey is good and mixes easily with a spoon.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Stickied, good thread.

 

[Gainera2582]

I know plenty of hamstring stretches, but what are some good hip flexor stretches? Thanks for your help. I'm guessing you are a physical therapist?

Click here:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/HipsWt.html#anchor1938598


No, physical ed teacher and health teacher.

 

[Gainera2582]

Great post. I can't believe I missed this when it was first submitted. What are you paying for the EAS Protein at Costco?

I just picked up a 5 lb tub of ON 100% Whey Gold Standard for 39 bucks at the Vitamin Shoppe this weekend. Seemed like an ok deal.

It is hard to get a good deal on protein anymore with the recent jump in dairy. Occasionally you can get deals on amazon.com for the 10lb bag of optimum 100% whey for 55 shipped. Otherwise, expect about 35 bucks locally at your local vitamin shoppe. Stay away from gnc unless you like paying higher prices compared to the others.